The Last Mermaid marks the cutesy, apocalyptic return to comics of Eisner Award-winning writer and artist Derek Kirk Kim
Feb. 7, 2024Derek Kirk Kim’s return to comics is an adorable new take on the end of the world
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Writer and artist Derek Kirk Kim returns to comics for the first time in a decade this March with a new post-apocalyptic adventure for Image.
The Last Mermaid is an ongoing series, written and drawn by Kirk Kim, that’s set in an arid future wasteland where a lonely (and currently nameless) mermaid in a H.A.V.C. (Hybrid Aquatic Vehicular Chamber - effectively a survival mech suit) must scavenge for water while avoiding roaming enemies.
Image are calling this one “Dune meets Low” (in reference toRick Remenderand Greg Tocchini’s apocalyptic adventure series). We’ve read the very impressive first issue and while it’s too early to say quite how accurate that comparison is, The Last Mermaid #1 is certainly an assured start.
The plot, at least in #1, is pretty slight - the summary at the top is pretty much it, but that’s not really the point. This is a showcase of Kirk Kim’s beautiful art. He really puts you in this bone-dry landscape with only the mermaid and Lottie - her friend/pet axolotl - for company. His work has a lovely, fluid quality, while the coloring draws a stark contrast between the aquatic greens of the inside of the H.A.V.C. suit and the almost glowing golden sands outside. For most of the first issue he stays resolutely on the grid, only occasionally breaking out for the moments of greatest impact. That helps give the whole thing the feeling of a futuristic storybook or a fairytale given a science fiction makeover.
Then there’s Lottie. Look, perhaps it’s an easy win putting a hapless and perma-smiling cute critter in the book, but what can I say? It worked on me. Perhaps even more so than the mermaid lead, you’re hoping that Lottie makes it to the next issue OK.
The Last Mermaid #1 is published by Image Comics on March 6.
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Will Salmon is the Comics Editor for GamesRadar/Newsarama. He has been writing about comics, film, TV, and music for more than 15 years, which is quite a long time if you stop and think about it. At Future he has previously launched scary movie magazine Horrorville, relaunched Comic Heroes, and has written for every issue of SFX magazine for over a decade. He sometimes feels very old, like Guy Pearce in Prometheus. His music writing has appeared in The Quietus, MOJO, Electronic Sound, Clash, and loads of other places and he runs the micro-label Modern Aviation, which puts out experimental music on cassette tape.
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